Sugar found in meteorites may have helped secure its own survival on early Earth

Sugar found in meteorites may have helped secure its own survival on early Earth. Researchers found that ribose, a sugar molecule, helps borate minerals dissolve and inhibit the formation of solid grains, keeping boron dissolved in water. This suggests a two-way relationship where borate protects ribose from breakdown, and ribose helps keep borate dissolved. The study used real minerals from Puga hot springs, where boron concentrations are low but the mineral structure is similar to ancient Earth. The findings suggest that high concentrations of dissolved boron could have existed in early Earth's fluids, possibly contributing to the conditions needed for life to begin.

The research highlights how the primordial soup, made of water, minerals, and carbon-containing molecules, could have influenced mineral formation. Ribose, which is rare in today's Earth, may have played a role in keeping boron dissolved, allowing for the development of complex chemical reactions. The study shows that the interaction between ribose and borate minerals could have shaped the chemical environment on early Earth, potentially aiding the survival of the molecules that eventually became the backbone of life.

The article explains that Earth's early environment was different from today—less oxygen, more volcanism, and a bombardment of meteorites delivering carbon and water. The Murchison meteorite, which contains ribose and other sugars, supports the idea that carbon-containing molecules could have accumulated in the absence of microbes. This research suggests that nonliving carbon molecules may have influenced mineral formation even before life existed on Earth, offering insights into the conditions that might have allowed life to emerge elsewhere.

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